Nick Cave opens up about communicating with his late son in new letter

Posted on December 13, 201782 out of 100 based on 825 user ratings

A message from Nick Cave to a fan posted on his website The Red Hand Files discusses communication with his son since his passing. The letter is the latest in a series of long form Q&A posts between Cave and fans on the site.

Cave’s 15 year old son Arthur passed away in July 2015. The artist’s 2016 film One More Time With Feeling documented the process of Cave returning to recording music following Arthur’s passing.

The question from the fan in the US reads “I have experienced the death of my father, my sister, and my first love in the past few years and feel that I have some communication with them, mostly through dreams. They are helping me. Are you and Susie feeling that your son Arthur is with you and communicating in some way?”

Cave’s answer discusses his grief after the loss of his son in 2015 before explaining how he feels Arthur communicates with him and his wife. “It seems to me, that if we love, we grieve. That’s the deal. That’s the pact. Grief and love are forever intertwined. Grief is the terrible reminder of the depths of our love and, like love, grief is non-negotiable. There is a vastness to grief that overwhelms our minuscule selves. We are tiny, trembling clusters of atoms subsumed within grief’s awesome presence.”

Later in the letter Cave explains how he and his wife feel connected to their son, saying “I feel the presence of my son, all around, but he may not be there. I hear him talk to me, parent me, guide me, though he may not be there. He visits Susie in her sleep regularly, speaks to her, comforts her, but he may not be there.”

You can read the full letter here, as well as the five previous entries on the site. Check out the trailer for Nick Cave’s One More Time With Feeling below.